1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bulb slitter for cutting a plurality of slits into an outer cover of a bulb such as an onion, a garlic, a scallion or shallot or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a bulb such as an onion, a garlic or the like has widely been used habitually as a cooking material. Prior to finely cutting the bulb, however, an outer cover at an outer periphery of the bulb, which is yellowish brown, must be peeled off. If an attempt is made to process a large quantity of bulbs, the processing must rely upon a mechanical technique.
As desquamation means of the outer cover, jet air is most effective. A peeling-off step of the coats of the bulb has been practiced in such a manner that compressed air is jetted to the bulb which is transferred to a transport station. The compressed air is jetted to the bulb resting on the transport station to peel off the outer cover of the bulb.
Further, the following automatic peeling-off apparatus has been proposed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 23982/1973. That is, a plurality of guide support rods are arranged at both sides of a base in facing ralation to each other with a suitable gap left therebetween. A spiral or helical burning shaft is arranged along a space between the guide support rods. A pair of burners are arranged outwardly of the burning shaft in facing relation to each other. An onion rests on the burning shaft. Rotation of the burning shaft rolls the onion, and the outer cover of the onion is burned by the burners while the onion is transported by the guide support rods.
In the automatic peeling-off apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 23982/1973, however, the outer cover of the onion is peeled off by regular stripes on the surface of the burning shaft, and only the outer cover is burned by the burners. Accordingly, since the onion and the burning shaft are large in contact area therebetween, there is a fear that the onion is damaged.